More than three years after Lauren Heike was murdered on a north Phoenix hiking trail, the man charged in her death has pleaded guilty. Zion Teasley, 25, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court. Court officials say the plea calls for natural life in prison. Prosecutors had filed notice in January 2024 that they would seek the death penalty, and the plea avoids that. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4. Heike, 29, was found dead on April 29, 2023, near the Reach 11 trail close to her home. A neighbor first called police, who believe she was attacked the day before. Teasley was arrested days later after DNA found on her shoe and surveillance video connected him to the case. Police say he lived near the trail but did not know her, and a motive has never been made public. Heike was originally from Washington state and was new to the area. Her mother has remembered her as a sweet child who was beautiful inside and out. #Phoenix #ArizonaNew...